Westminster committee demands public funds answers ahead of potential Peter Murrell scandal inquiry
A cross-party Westminster committee has demanded answers over whether Peter Murrell embezzled public funds ahead of potentially launching an inquiry into the scandal.
A Westminster committee has demanded answers from House of Commons authorities and the Electoral Commission over whether Peter Murrell embezzled public funds as it gears up to potentially launch an inquiry into the scandal.
Murrell, the former CEO of the SNP, pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 of party funds, mostly made up of membership fees and donations.
SNP leader John Swinney has suggested that no public funds were obtained by Murrell, but the Scottish Affairs Committee has penned letters to authorities to seek assurances over the matter.
The SNP, as do all major political parties, receive funding from the Electoral Commission, which Mr Swinney has argued has been audited by the commission. The party also receives so-called short money from the House of Commons to support MPs elected to Westminster.
In her letter to Tom Goldsmith, clerk of the House of Commons, chairwoman of the Scottish Affairs Committee, Patricia Ferguson, has demanded “information regarding the allocation of public funds” and the “protections that exist to ensure their proper use”.
She added: “As you will be aware, there has been speculation that Peter Murrell’s criminal activity may have extended to the embezzlement of short money allocated by the house authorities to the SNP Westminster group.”
The committee has asked for information around the “mechanisms” for distributing the funds and “the safeguards which exist to mitigate the risk of the misuse of short money”.
MPs have also demanded what information Commons authorities require from political parties “in order to be assured that short money is being used as intended”
Specifically, the Scottish Affairs Committee has asked authorities to “confirm how much short money was allocated to the SNP during the period of Peter Murrell’s criminal activity” and if any concerns have been raised about the use of the funds.
The letter also requests “reflections on the adequacy of the current system and safeguards for allocating short money to political parties” including in relation to the “audit mechanisms used to confirm the accuracy and propriety of expenditure, both generally, and in respect of the specific case of the SNP during the aforementioned period”.
In a separate letter to the Electoral Commission, the committee has highlighted “speculation that Peter Murrell’s criminal activity may have extended to the embezzlement of policy development grants”.
It adds: “I note that the commission has stated publicly that it has found no evidence of misuse of these funds. I would be grateful if you could set out the amount of funding provided to the SNP over the period during which Peter Murrell’s confirmed offending took place.
“Additionally, it would assist the committee’s consideration of this matter if you could explain how the commission has satisfied itself that this funding was used appropriately.
“Given the scale of the offending and the degree of public interest in this matter, I would welcome any reflections you may have on the adequacy of the existing safeguards to prevent the misuse of public funds provided by the Electoral Commission, and whether these are sufficiently robust to prevent abuse of the system, including criminal activity.”
Scottish Labour deputy leader, Jackie Baillie, said: “There are still huge unanswered questions over the Peter Murrell scandal and the implications for public money and public services.
“I hope the Scottish Affairs Committee are able to get some answers, and we need more transparency from John Swinney and the SNP about this murky affair.”
The SNP has been approached for comment.
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